The pitfalls of playing games with sociology

)Previously published in the Terre Haute Tribune Star, 1/16/2011

Seems everyone wants to play the sociologist following the attempted murder of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Even before the most basic facts were known, is she alive or dead, journalists, pundits, ministers, and the internet echo chamber began to weigh in on why this happened and what it means.

As a (real) sociologist, I thought I’d critique the (questionable) sociological analyses and debates I’ve seen in the last few days.
First, no sociologist is going to claim that the shooter was motivated by a culture of hate; at least not without a lot more evidence that he read or listened to any particular speech and it clearly motivated him. Even that would be unusual as sociologists are usually not in the business of explaining a specific individual’s behavior. For those who want to make a connection between any kind of speech and behavior, better to look at rates. Increasing rates of X (speech) should precede certain behaviors Y (murder attempts on members of congress).

Second, there is a difference between an “explanation” for something and “blaming/excusing.” Too many want to blame Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh or any other easy target (because they engage in the objectionable speech) for the murders and attempted murders. Overheated language works. Part of the reason for Limbaugh’s, Palin’s, and others who resort to vitriol is because it works. Our culture approves of such language. If it didn’t there would be no mass audience for it. Indeed, my own essays would be more popular, if I were to write that Rush Limbaugh should be castrated and fed his own genitalia for his role in killing Christina Green, an innocent child. I care for my credibility and integrity over whatever attention that might bring. The price is I don’t have a huge passionate following. But I digress.

Third, if “speech” has any affect on behavior, then it will have affects on “bad” behavior and “good” behavior. So, for those who would deny that the vitriolic and violent (can I just say dehumanizing?) speech doesn’t affect anyone to do anything “bad” then don’t turn around and suggest that some kinds of speech, like rote prayer and ritualistic bible reading in schools, is going to create “good” behaviors. The same goes for those who would quickly point to rifle sites on a map as contributing to political violence can’t then deny that the speeches of anti-American Islamic clerics aren’t inciting terrorists to act. (And vice versa.)

Fourth, when people like “us” do terrible things, “we” quickly distance ourselves from them. The easiest way to do that is to say they are crazy, insane, and sick. As much as people are mistaking the connection between perceived increases in dehumanizing political speech and this particular act of political violence (it may not turn out to be political violence), it is just as much a mistake to diagnose him as insane. And those who have so distanced themselves from him by calling him insane, would they as quickly accept that as a defense for his actions? Just as those who want to connect his actions to the dehumanizing speech, would they accept that as a defense for what he did? “Rush and Sarah made me do it.” (This is related to the second observation above.)

Fifth, too much of the debate goes like this: “your speech is violent and incites violence.” “Well, both sides do it.” “Show me where my side has ever put gunsights on a webpage or was filmed shooting a cap and trade bill.” “What about Obama’s ‘if you get into a knife fight, we’ll bring a gun’.”

The “both sides do it” may be accurate but it ignores asymmetries. Are Republicans and Democrats receiving the same level of threats, vandalism, and heckling? If Democrats are receiving more violent threats and acts of violence toward them, as Congresswoman Giffords experienced after her election, the asymmetry suggests one side has more followers accepting of violent solutions.

“Who” says it matters. Your “crazy uncle” who forwards vile and racist screeds about Mexicans, Obama, and Arabs is different than when someone in a position of societal authority, like a politician, religious leader, or celebrity says the same things or sanctions them. High status people legitimize the ideas and practices. Their actions and speech are more impactful than your “crazy uncle.” This is why we use celebrity endorsements of products (or political positions) to influence people’s behavior.

Don’t commit sociology without a license.

Since when are extremists equal to "the left"

Yesterday Michelle Malkin wrote a piece of propaganda that would be worthy of a totalitarian state. Her headline The Left's Escalating War on Military Recruiters says it all. In fairness, if Malkin were writing about the escalating violence at abortion clinics, would she write a op ed titled "The Right's Escalating War on Abortion Providers"?

She lists 19 events. All property crime, one bomb. Most of it is dumb college students throwing red paint on army recruiters and recruiting stations. I am not in favor of such things. These groups are misguided. They should direct their free speech at the policy makers, not 20 year sargeants who do most of the recruiting.

Here is a list of extremist violence (some rightly would call the politics of these folks as "right wing") directed at abortion clinics and providers: (All from Wikipedia, but I confirmed these in other sources as well, I just like the format of the Wiki site)

Murder
In the U.S., violence directed toward abortion providers has killed 7 people, including 3 doctors, 2 clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort.[5]
March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida was fatally shot during a protest. He had been the subject of wanted-style posters distributed by Operation Rescue in the summer of the year before. Michael F. Griffin was found guilty of Dr. Gunn's murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
June 29, 1994: Dr. John Britton and James Barrett, a clinic escort, were both shot outside of another facility in Pensacola. Rev. Paul Jennings Hill was charged with the killings, received a death sentence, and was executed September 3, 2003.
December 30, 1994: Two receptionists, Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, were killed in a clinic attack in Brookline, Massachusetts. John Salvi, who prior to his arrest was distributing pamphlets from Human Life International,[6] was arrested and confessed to the killings. He committed suicide in prison and guards found his body under his bed with a plastic garbage bag tied around his head. Salvi had also confessed to a non-lethal attack in Norfolk, Virginia days before the Brookline killings.
January 29, 1998: Robert Sanderson, an off-duty police officer who worked as a security guard at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama died when his workplace was bombed. Eric Robert Rudolph, who was also responsible for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing, was charged with the crime and received two life sentences as a result.
October 23, 1998: Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot dead at his home in Amherst, New York. His was the last in a series of similar shootings against providers in Canada and northern New York state which were all likely committed by James Kopp. Kopp was convicted of Dr. Slepian's murder after finally being apprehended in France in 2001.

Attempted murder, assault, and threats
According to statistics gathered by the National Abortion Federation (NAF), an organization of abortion providers, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, there have been 17 attempted murders, 383 death threats, 153 incidents of assault or battery, and 3 kidnappings committed against abortion providers.[8] The attempted murders were:[9][10][5]
August 19, 1993: Dr. George Tiller was shot outside of an abortion facility in Wichita, Kansas. Shelley Shannon was charged with the crime and received an 11-year prison sentence.
June 29, 1994: June Barret was shot in the same attack which claimed the lives of James Barrett, her husband, and Dr. John Britton.
December 30, 1994: Five individuals were wounded in the same-day shootings which killed Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols.
December 18, 1996: Dr. Calvin Jackson of New Orleans, Louisiana was stabbed 15 times, losing 4 pints of blood. Donald Cooper was charged with second-degree attempted murder and sentenced to 20 years.[11]
October 28, 1997: A physician whose name has not been revealed was shot in his home in Rochester, New York.
January 29, 1998: Emily Lyons, a nurse, was severely injured in the bombing which also killed Robert Sanderson.
September 11, 2006 David McMenemy attempted a suicide bombing of a women's clinic in Davenport, Iowa after scouting targets throughout the Midwest. It was later revealed that the targeted clinic did not perform or make referrals for abortions.

Anthrax threats
The first letters claiming to contain anthrax were mailed to U.S. clinics in October 1998, a few days after the Slepian shooting, and since then, there have been a total of 655 such bioterror threats made against abortion providers. None of the "anthrax" in these cases was real.[12][9]
November 2001: After the genuine 2001 anthrax attacks, Clayton Waagner mailed hoax letters containing a white powder to 554 clinics. Waagner was convicted of 51 charges relating to the anthrax scare on December 3, 2003.

Arson, bombing, and property crime
According to NAF, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, property crimes committed against abortion providers have included 41 bombings, 173 arsons, 91 attempted bombings or arsons, 619 bomb threats, 1630 incidents of trespassing, 1264 incidents of vandalism, and 100 attacks with butyric acid ("stink bombs").[8] The first clinic arson occurred in Oregon in March 1976 and the first bombing occurred in February 1978 in Ohio.[13] More recent incidents have included:[5]
October 1999: Martin Uphoff set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, causing US$100 worth of damage. He was later sentenced to 60 months in prison.
May 28, 2000: An arson at a clinic in Concord, New Hampshire on resulted in damage estimated at US$20,000.
October 1, 2000: A Catholic priest drove his car into the Northern Illinois Health Clinic after learning that the FDA had approved the drug RU-486. He pulled out an ax before being shot at by a security guard.
June 11, 2001: A bombing at a clinic in Tacoma, Washington on destroyed a wall, resulting in US$6000 in damages
July 4, 2005: A clinic Palm Beach, Florida was the target of an arson.
December 12, 2005: Patricia Hughes and Jeremy Dunahoe threw a Molotov cocktail at a clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. The device missed the building and no damage was caused. In August 2006, Hughes was sentenced to six years in prison, and Dunahoe to one year.
April 25, 2007: A package left at a women's health clinic in Austin, Texas contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death. A bomb squad detonated the device.[14]
May 9, 2007: An unidentified person deliberately set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[15]
December 6, 2007: Two unidentified persons set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[16]

What Malkin is doing is trying to link a few extremists with an entire political perspective. Using that ridiculous logic, the above is far more discrediting of the rightist political perspective than college pranksters.